Heritage Science: Putting the X in Museums

Dr Jim Tate
Head of Conservation & Analytical Research
National Museums Collection Centre

In the Augustine United Church
41 George IV Bridge
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EL
On Monday 16th January 2012, at 7pm

The use of X-rays to investigate Egyptian mummies has been known for
many years, but what are the latest methods that have been used to
investigate the Egyptian collections in Edinburgh? How can we know what
the inside of the early medieval harps on display in the Museum of
Scotland look like without taking them apart? What colour were the Lewis
chessmen? It is not often realized how much work goes on behind the
scenes in museums, preparing objects for exhibition and displays, or
investigating their history, authenticity and technology. This lecture
will illustrate some recent scientific work on which has been undertaken
on the artifact collections of the National Museums Scotland. It will be
given by Dr Jim Tate, Head of the Department of Conservation &
Analytical Research. After a first degree and doctorate in Physics Jim
undertook a two year post-doctorial project at Paisley College before
moving to the research laboratory of the National Museum of Scotland,
and then to his current position when the museums in Edinburgh
amalgamated in 1996.